


SLIP UP

by conartist1132



Category: One Piece
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Canon Compliant, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, OP Manga Spoilers, WCI/Wano Arc Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:07:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27585853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/conartist1132/pseuds/conartist1132
Summary: the one where Zoro accidentally calls Sanji's name. a small insignificant thing that forces both of them to open up with each other in their own roundabout ways.
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 7
Kudos: 109





	SLIP UP

**Author's Note:**

> warning: spoilers of the current manga story. proceed with caution

“Guys, where’s Sanji-kun?” Nami asks the remaining Straw Hats who gather together in Amigasa village. They’re gearing up for the battle against Kaido that will take place in several days. Zoro who sleeps like a log on top of large stone jolts at Nami’s inquiry.

Chopper answers, “No idea he was just here, he probably takes a walk into the forest.

Nami continues, “I need him to help me with something. She sighs, “Well, I’ll wait.”

Zoro sits up, stretching, and yawns loudly and widely. He mutters to himself, “I gotta train.”

He lazily paces inside the bamboo forest in an attempt to find a peaceful training ground and is definitely not looking for a certain curly brow. As he walks further, he spots the damn cook strolling, facing away from him, holding tiny flowers on his hand. It looks like he doesn’t notice Zoro. He keeps walking and smiling, enjoying the scenery.

Zoro tries to catch up to him and raises his voice, “Oi, Cook!”

Sanji jerks. He hears him but decides to ignore him and keeps walking.

“Oi, I know you can hear me shit cook.”

Sanji’s lips tug wickedly. He stops and pretends to look at his right then left and shrugs. He continues on his merry walk.

Zoro’s face twitches and he curses, “fucking dartbrow asshole!” Sanji pops a nerve and his ears hurt having to listen to a foul-mouthed musclehead but still ignores him.

The thing is when Sanji abruptly stopped, he instinctively stopped too. So much for trying to close the gap. Zoro slows his pace down, and aim to walk silently behind him, mantaining their 5 meter distance. He stares at Sanji’s back. He misses that back. They didn’t see each other for weeks but it felt like months for him. There were so many things he wanted to say but couldn’t. But then he realized what’s there to say anyway. It’s not like they’re buddy buddy with each other. Seeing him come back well and alive is enough for him. He thinks.

Sanji suddenly speeds up, Zoro’s surprised by the sudden movement. He increases his speed too. “Where are you going dart brow?”

No answers. Sanji picks up his pace for a moment then runs.

“What the hell, what the fuck is he doing? Dart brow! Wait!” As he rushes forward, he ponders, why the hell is he chasing him, why does he fall for whatever stupid game Sanji is playing at now? He sees Sanji going further and looking out of reach. Something morbid and really deep, buried inside him evokes and says ... _Don’t leave, don’t leave me again dammit!_

“SANJI!!”

Sanji stops abruptly, then freezes. Slowly, he finally turns himself around, facing Zoro who’s now right in front of him.

“You said my name.” He has that look of a kid who’s about to eat his cotton candy but it gets knocked out by an unsuspecting passerby. He’s going pale and tense.

“Huh? Yeah, So what?” Zoro arches his eyebrows and is genuinely not following what Sanji meant.

Sanji’s tense shoulder is not tense anymore, eyes turn lax but he is ready to beat up the culprit who dropped his cotton candy.

“Unbelievable, as expected from a fucking insensitive brute!” He storms past Zoro, stomping on the ground.

Question marks are appearing more on top of Zoro’s already empty head. “Oi, if you don’t tell me I won’t know what your fucking problem is!” Zoro barks.

“You never called me by my name, shithead!” Sanji spills as he turns to face Zoro and is obviously not trying to hide his anger. He turns back and says, “Ugh, forget it!” and slips away.

Zoro’s mouth is agape. He never sees that kind of anger from Sanji at least not in a genuine way. He also sees a hint of hurt on Sanji’s face. Sanji tosses the flowers he has with him the whole time. Zoro picks them up and sighs.

*****

As Sanji comes back to the group, Nami hollers and looks at him intently as he gets closer and asks, “What’s wrong, you look-“ Nami pauses. Sanji was startled at her question. He can’t believe he still looks upset all the way from up there. It’s 10 minutes walk from the edge of the forest. So that means he’s been boiling like a steam locomotive non-stop for the past 10 minutes now. He needs a smoke. He waves it off and smiles, “Ah, it’s nothing Nami-san”. Nami shrugs, “ok then, right, Sanji-kun, help me with something later, would you?”

The Straw Hats came back to Thousand Sunny for dinner. Afterwards, Nami drags Sanji into the library. He sees Robin sitting on a chair in front of Nami’s survey desk, calmly smiling at him, gorgeous as always. Lewd thoughts hit his perverted mind like a tornado. Only he and two beautiful girls. Are they inviting him for some threes-? His train of thoughts stops when Nami shows him a bunch of colorful yarns and a knitting kit. “Huh?”

Nami needs his assistance to make friendship bracelets for the crew. Nakamaship bracelets, as she calls it. Nami knows Sanji is capable of making it. It’s a little secret between them and 50,000 beri involved. She was feeling sentimental when they got separated. She bought it on a whim on Cacao Island. Sanji can see she’s feeling embarrassed. She neither looks up at either him and Robin as she tells them her mushy episode. Robin giggles and puts her hand on Nami’s shoulder. “We’ll help, always knew you’re the sentimental type.” Nami nudges her playfully.

Sanji chimes, “Okay, Nami-san, what would you like us to do?”

Nami instructed them to combine two different colors of the threads. One distinct color represents one crewmate, the other is the color of their choices. Luffy’s color is red. Nami picks light brown as the secondary color, mirroring his straw hat colors. Nami jokes that the colors resemble the colors of rotten meat. Rotten or not, Luffy will definitely lick it, chew it and eventually swallow it when he’s hungry. She reminds herself to make extras for him. Nami provides them tutorials and shortcut materials, such as using drinking straws as bases or they can crochet them altogether. The yarns are of high quality silk. They won’t break easily even if they’re in the middle of a battle. Nami adds they don’t need to wear it all the time. Because whether they’re worn or not, it will become a lifetime symbol of togetherness and mostly because it’s fun.

Usopp spots them and asks whether they’re having a knitting class. He shudders when he finds out it was Nami’s idea. He thinks she might charge the crew for it plus interests.

*****

Hours have passed, Sanji is in the middle of making another after finishing with Chopper’s and Brook’s bracelet. He plays with the crocheting hook expertly as he connects violet and green yarns, a fond look on his face. Nami glances at him.

“Oh, is that Zoro’s?“ Nami asks.

“Yes.”

“Why violet?”

“I’m not sure of it myself. I saw him with a new sword. Her hilt and sheath were covered with a violet color. So it just pops up.”

“How thoughtful.” Robin comments.

“No, Robin-chan, It’s just the way it is.” He tries to stay calm but his chest pounds rather quickly. _him..thoughtful towards that Marimo? no way in hell!_

He finished the Marimo’s wristlet and rested for a bit for ten minutes. He’s now making the last one, his. His representative color is blue and the second one is-

“Green?” Nami probes.

“Hm?”

“Your other color is green.”

“No it’s whi-,” He stares at it in horror and slams it hard. Nami is taken aback but whistles afterwards, “Heart wants what it wants, huh?”

Robin’s amused.

“No, no Nami-san, you’re mistaken. It’s, it’s I-“

“I get it Sanji-kun,” Nami cuts him. “It’s almost midnight, mistakes happen.”

“Right.” Sanji sighs and he can sense Nami’s sarcasm. _Fuck, out of all available colors, how the hell did he pick green?_ He blames his mind for it. It’s common for someone to arbitrarily redo the same task that he’s done prior after a tiring and repetitive day. Mind does that. That must have been it. He assures himself.

“Oh Zoro, you’re here.” Nami greets him. Sanji’s heart jumps. He peeks Zoro over his shoulder and stares dagger at him. Zoro just stands on his spot, deadpan. There’s a toothbrush hanging on his mouth and a tinge of toothpaste smears on the corner of his lips.

Then he moves his hand to brush his teeth in a cavemen style, Whar are rou guys roing?”

“You’re disgusting,” Sanji grimaces. “We’re making bracelets for all of us. Wait, why are you brushing your teeth here?”

He does not answer but chooses to aggravate Sanji’s disapproval by taking water from the mug that he himself brings, gurgling haphazardly then spit the used water back into the mug.

“Fucking barbarian,” Sanji mutters. He notices Zoro is still standing, awkwardly looking down on his slippers. “If you want to read, go read if not you’re not needed here, go play with your dumbbells or something,” Sanji affirms.

Nami echoes, “Yeah, I’m gonna start charging you if you just stand around like a fool.”

Robin speaks with a flat tone, “I think it’d be fun if we let him stand there and put clothespins between his nose for five minutes. We’ll see what happens.” Sanji and Nami laugh.

“Are you three ganging up on me?!” Zoro fumes but decides to ignore them. He tries to climb up the ladder.

Sanji: “Oi Marimo, outside is to your right.” He then mumbles, “Stupid swordsman.”

Nami: “Directionless swordsman.”

Robin: “Dying swordsman.”

Zoro has the sudden urge to santoryu his nakama but he can’t help but chuckle at Robin’s comment and subsequently shakes his head instead. Robin’s affinity towards ghastly things is truly one of a kind. That amazes him. Zoro silently disappears from their sight. Moments later, Sanji excuses himself and tells Nami that he will finish his own wristlet in the men’s quarter. He takes what he needs then leaves. Nami discerns one of the green yarns is missing. Sanji is on his way to head back to the men’s quarter. When he’s about to light his cigarette, he senses something leans on the wall, unmoved. Light doesn’t travel over it. It’s a silhouette of a person. Sanji has his guess on who that is. He takes few steps forward to confirm it. It turns out to be, as Sanji expected, none other than Thousand Sunny’s notorious sleeping beauty. It’s not unusual to find him dozing off on any part of the ship, being an eyesore. He nudges Zoro’s leg and presses it pretty hard with his shoe. Zoro feels the pressure and is annoyed, reluctantly open his one eye.

“It hurts dammit, get off!”

“Go sleep in the room, you ape bastard!” He insists as he lifts off his shoe while not missing out on the profanity.

“I’m waiting for you.” Zoro says while rubbing his eye.

“Huh?”

“I..er, Zoro stands up, meeting Sanji’s eyes determinedly, “I’m sorry for being insensitive earlier in the forest.”

Sanji’s stunned at the apology. This is not Zoro that he knows.

“Are you really the Marimo? Are you sure you’re not being possessed?” Is that you Tonoyasu?”

Zoro snorts. 

“Don’t be,” Sanji is now being serious, lighting his cigarette and taking a drag on it. “There’s nothing to apologize for. I vented more than necessary.”

“But I still want to apologize.” Zoro persists.

Sanji looks at him for a moment then says, “Heh, okay then, apology accepted.”

Zoro grins. He trails behind Sanji as they head to the men’s quarter. His step is as light as a feather. He does not know that Sanji probably smiles like a kid who gets his cotton candy back. Not one but two big pieces.

*****

Inside the men’s quarter, both find Luffy sleep on his stomach, dangling on the edge of his hammock like a monkey. Usopp sleeps with his mouth open. Zoro saunters to a desk to grab something. He hands it to Sanji who plops himself on his bed. Sanji sits up, perplexed, and asks, What is this?”

Zoro answers, “I was salvaging the poor flowers that you ditched.” Zoro has put them inside a water-filled jug all along.

Sanji’s heart flutters. He then remarks, “That’s very kind of you.” He puts the jug under his floating hammock. Sanji plans to ask for Robin’s permission to plant them on her flower bed. They’re daffodils. They might find their new place there and live longer.

Zoro occupies the vacant bed beside Sanji. He sees Sanji still working like a student aiming for the gold star in an embroidery class. For a while, Zoro alternatively stares at Sanji and the ceiling. Sanji notices, finding it annoying and charming at the same time.

Zoro ultimately says, “Go to sleep, shit cook.”

Sanji replies without looking at him, “In a bit.” Zoro sighs and turns the other way.

“Hey, Zoro,” Sanji suddenly breaks the silence 5 minutes later.

“Hn?”

“I think it would be nice if someday like a bolt from the blue you call me by my name again.” He can’t believe what his disobedient mouth just said.

Zoro flips his body in a quick motion, almost snaps his neck. He is kind of disappointed because Sanji is actually not facing him. Sanji lies on his side, facing the opposite way. Sanji then continues, “It would be sort of... beautiful. A beautiful slip up.” Sanji curses at himself the second he finished his cheesy lines and he definitely flushes so hard. At the same time, he also feels relieved that whatever it is, it’s finally out in the open and he acknowledges that this comes from his heart.

Zoro’s brain short-circuits. He does not know what to reply. Sanji hears Usopp playing with his phlegm. Brook breaks out lowly, “Is this love? Yohohoho.”

Franky whispers, “Super romantic”. They were apparently not asleep. Sanji should’ve seen it coming. Fucking meddlers.

“Cut it out all of you!” Sanji snarls. The eavesdroppers’ trio giggle. Sanji is itching to yank Luffy’s innocent hands that stick out of the hammock above him. Luffy and Chopper did not join in the hoopla the other crews caused. It is because they both are in deep slumber and dream about being on a meat island and an ice cream island respectively and somehow at one point the islands are merged and their dreams become one.

Zoro clears his throat and says, “Cook..that’s- I don’t know what to say.” He goes quiet.

Sanji scoffs, ”Good night, Marimo.”

The meddling flies on the wall are the ones who uniformly reply instead, “Good niiight.”

Sanji’s impulse to diamble jambe on his nakama is really strong.

Zoro snickers, then mutters “night” directed at Sanji. That calms Sanji down a bit. When he hears Zoro rustling, Sanji switches his position. He’s now the one who looks at Zoro’s back. He eyes the steady rise and fall of Zoro’s breathing for a moment. He gets up, turning off the light, and resumes working on his project in a dark room with the help of a flashlight. 

*****

In the morning, the Straw Hats scatter on the shore adjacent to where they conveniently hid Thousand Sunny inside a cave. Zoro, the sleeping beauty, was not really able to sleep beautifully last night. He kept on thinking about what Sanji said to him. It caught him off guard. He’s still preoccupied with the thoughts. However, it’s the thoughts that he needs Sanji to know. The lingering thoughts dissolve when he hears Luffy shout, “Namiii! thank you, you’re the best!” Nami warns him not to eat it. Luffy replies,”I will (eat it)!” then goes off running somewhere with Usopp, frolicking. She rubs her temple, and mutters, “predictable.”

Sanji with an unlit cigarette on his mouth helps Chopper putting on his wristlet.

Nami approaches Sanji and says, “This is for you.”

Sanji looks at the object Nami puts on his palm. It’s the unfinished wristlet that Sanji smacked on the table. The original handicraft that he made for himself. Nami finished it. He asks Nami why. She says she just couldn’t help it. Sanji gladly put it on his right wrist as a token of gratitude. Also, because he partly cleared the clouds that have bothered him for days last night, no for years, in fact.

Sanji catches Zoro sitting on one edge of wooden steps, away from the crew.

“Photosynthesizing?” Sanji teases. Instead of getting annoyed, Zoro joins in on the act, he says, “not today.” 

Sanji tosses Zoro’s wristlet onto Zoro’s lap and sits beside him, lighting his cigarette and puffs on it. “It’s yours,” Sanji states.

“This is lame.”

“Don’t say that, it’s Nami-San’s way of giving her utmost appreciation for the crew. Tch, you don’t actually hate it anyway.”

“No, I don’t hate it.” Zoro encircles it on top of his wrist. Sanji helps him strengthen the knot.

Zoro glances at Sanji’s. “Why is one of your colors green?”

“Oh this..It just happened.” Sanji looks away.

“Oh, really?” Zoro asks in a teasing manner. He’s not convinced.

“Y..yeah.”

“Can I have one of that too? If you have a spare.”

“Why would I have a spare?”

“It’s just, I saw Nami carry a bunch of Luffy’s.”

“Even if I have one why would you want mine? Wait, is it because it’s green? You really are a green holic aren’t you?”

“Wrong, I just want something of mine to match with yours. It’s not that deep.”

 _Not that deep?_ Sanji protests on his mind, incredulously. He counters, “Why?”

“Because it’s you.” “and also- Zoro briefly pauses, I’m looking forward to someday when I, like a bolt from the blue, slip up and call your name.” He smiles and ruffles Sanji’s hair, endearingly. He does not know why he did it. It’s a reflex. His heart beats faster now. His eye wanders off at not Sanji.

Sanji freezes then looks down. He lets the tobacco ashes freely fall off of the stick that he holds between his fingers. Silence takes over. The sounds of waves and breezy wind are what Zoro’s ears all recognize. Zoro stirs his one eye towards Sanji. Sanji’s bangs fully cover his eyes in an unkempt state, courtesy of Zoro’s handiwork. Sanji himself doesn’t seem to bother to rearrange his hair. He lets the wind does it for him. He becomes unreadable.

“Cook, you’re okay?”

Sanji nods as he pushes his bangs aside, combs his hair with his fingers. Zoro is still unable to read his expressions. He reckons Sanji needs to be left alone. He presses Sanji’s shoulder gently and gets up. As he walks away, he vaguely hears Sanji say “fuck.”

Sanji gets on his feet, taking a final drag on his cigarette, stepping on it, and yells, “Oi idiot, wait up”. He catches up to Zoro and says, “give me your left hand.” He takes Zoro’s hand and puts something on his wrist. It’s a blue-green bracelet that he made secretly in the men’s quarter.

“I knew you made an extra,” Zoro chirps.

“No, you didn’t.” Sanji corrects him. He technically made just one since the other one he’s wearing right now is Nami’s handmade craft. This is an ‘extra’ of his actual blue-white colored bracelet that he keeps inside his pocket all along. “There, done!”

As Sanji’s hands are free, Zoro casually takes Sanji’s right hand and holds it tightly. Sanji’s chest is bursting.

“Let’s go,” Zoro mutters as he tugs Sanji’s hand.

“To where?!”

“To where Kaido is. “We’re going to- no, _I’m_ going to destroy his gigantic hairy ass,” Zoro taunts.

Zoro receives a kick on his own ass. He wobbles but is still not letting go of Sanji’s hand.

“The raid is in two days, dumbass. And it’s scaly. Kaido is a dragon, so his ass must be scaly not hairy.” Sanji reasons. Truthfully, the hell would Sanji know about some yonkou’s ass. He just does not want to give Zoro the satisfaction.

“Eh, you don’t know that. Smartass.”

Both exchange idiotic smiles with one another then ~~ride off into the sunset together~~ unpeacefully explore the coastline until they get bored.

**Author's Note:**

> first time writing for them after being a fan for so long. i suck at describing details pls bear with me. english is my L2, if there are parts that sound weird or you dont understand, let me know...  
> thank you so much for reading :)  
> 


End file.
